French Asado

This recipe is from Nick de Toldi, our friend in France who hopes you will view his website at www.gourmetfly.com, offering sporting and culinary tours in France.  Nick taught us this lamb recipe streamside in Normandy, at a fishing picnic for the International Fario Club.   In the foreground of the photo, you will see the charcoal grill that Nick uses when not using the smaller and more portable Weber Go-Anywhere Grill that we brought him from the US.  In the back, you will see the game warden, who came to check our fishing licenses and then stayed three hours for the picnic.

Nick describes the recipe:

I buy a lamb leg (gigot d’agneau, we like the ones available at Costco which are already pre-boned and which for 2013 aren’t badly priced at around $5/lb.)

I open it and de-bone with my Laguiole.  I obtain 2 semi flat when open nice pieces of meat.

I hit these like hell (we use a steel steak tenderizing mallet) to make them well flat.  I make a massage with olive oil.  I sprinkle with “fleur de sel de guérande.”  I cover seriously with herbs de Provence (really a lot, the piece almost becomes green).

I grill on both sides, “well grilled”

Then I cut slices, that I serve with cold ratatouille or pipérade.

At fishing parties, it is quickly done on your “American Go Anywhere”  grill and it is really delicious, hopefully it is, because… C’est du luxe !!! Only for luxury clients or friends.

American translation:  Get a de-boned leg of lamb (Costco has them in a good quality meat).  Pound flat with a meat hammer.  Season with olive oil, French sea salt (or any coarse salt), and about a whole bottle of Herbs du Provence, which you can get in the spice section of the grocery store.  The vinewood cuttings (if you can find them from a vineyard) are added over the charcoal once you get the flames died down to impart a smoky flavor much like we use mesquite, apple, or hickory, which you can substitute.